Hell Creek
Of Prehistoric Park's attractions, Hell Creek is, no doubt, the most famous. The area is home to the giant species of Late Cretaceous North America, including Triceratops, Ankylosaurus and the greatest predator of all time, Tyrannosaurus rex. The journey begins in the dense forests of Hell Creek, which are home to the small ceratopsian Leptoceratops, the ornithopod Thescelosaurus and the alverezasaurid Montanoykus. There are minimal barriers between guests and animals and a bag containing dried locusts can be bought at a nearby stall to feed the approachable and friendly alvarezsaurids, as well as a bag of lettuce to feed the herbivores. Other animals that call this section home include the sound-mimicking oviraptorid Anzu, the small dromaeosaurid Acheroraptor, the monitor lizard Palaeosaniwa, the Tasmanian devil-esque mammal Didelphodon (still counts) and the snake Dinilysia. The guests then cross an elevated walkway, over pools home to the crocodilians Brachychampsa, Borealsuchus and Thoracosaurus. Hell Creek's largest exhibit is the herbivore paddock, which is home to Hell Creek's large herbivores, including Triceratops, its slightly larger relative Torosaurus, Edmontosaurus and Ankylosaurus. There is a Jeep tour through this section at regular intervals, allowing guests to get an up-close experience with the animals. The other inhabitants of this paddock include the dome-headed Pachycephalosaurus, the fast-running Ornithomimus, the spiky Denversaurus and, towering above them all, the giant Alamosaurus. The final part of the exhibit is home to Hell Creek's top carnivores; the intelligent Dromaeosaurus, the vicious Dakotaraptor and, at the top, the rulers of Hell Creek, the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, with the natural enmity between the three species used to make excellent exhibits. The Hell Creek Carnivore Experience, which involves an up-close encounter with dromas and preparing breakfast for a Tyrannosaurus, can be booked at the Prehistoric Park website. Near the dromaeosaur pens is PP's Dromaeosaur Think Tank, an interactive exhibit which guests learn about these highly intelligent animals and how they think and learn about their surroundings. A nearby large aviary exhibits the aerial terrors of the Hell Creek environment, Quetzalcoatlus. When Prehistoric Park opened to the public, Novum understood that some exhibits would be more popular then others. Some would be assured draws with the general public, whilst others would be, whilst noticed by the palaeo-savvy, largely ignored by the world at large and some would be unfamiliar to all but experts. Unsurprisingly, Hell Creek was one of the exhibits that became extremely popular. Guest surveys found that over ninety percent of guests had managed to visit the attraction during their visit and it frequently ranks high in popularity polls. The principal reason for this is due to the vast range of large, spectacular animals, such as Tyrannosaurus, Triceratops and Ankylosaurus, that were instantly recognisable to the general public, as well as the innovative exhibit design. Many animals from Hell Creek have become firm guest favourites. The pride of the section is the herbivore paddock. The largest paddock in the section, it is home to the herbivorous dinosaurs of Hell Creek. It is home to over 500 individual animals, including herds of Triceratops, Torosaurus and Edmontosaurus, along with four Ankylosaurus, a small group of Pachycephalosaurus, a large flock of Ornithomimus, several Denversaurus and five Alamosaurus. However, these are not the star attractions of Hell's Creek. That honour goes to the rulers of Hell Creek; the Tyrannosaurus rex, of which the park exhibits six. These massive apex predators attract thousands of guests every year, coming to Hell Creek (and, indeed, the park in general) specifically to see them. All part of Novum breeding programs, the animals of Hell Creek have managed to breed successfully many times. As of writing, the breeding programs of many of Hell Creek's species continue to go to strength to strength, with many continuing to breed successfully every year. For many of the herbivores, in particular, their populations have grown so exponentially, many animals have been moved to Prehistoric Park's sister parks in Spain and Canada. The section's three dromaeosaur species (Acheraptor, Dromaeosaurus and Dakotaraptor) are particularly notable in Prehistoric Park's history. Prehistoric Park initially rescued fairly large populations of these three species and they have bred very successfully. They became very popular with guests, due to the fact that they resembled the popular Velociraptor. A simple search for Prehistoric Park on any social media website would bring up at least one photo of a droma. They are curious and impressive looking animals, making them instant hits with visitors, (and staff). However, the Acheraptor, in particular, have a darker side: kleptomania. Several incidents have resulted from animals trying to grab shiny objects from unsuspecting guests. Shortly after Hell Creek opened, Head of Research Khatin von Schorzberg suggested the construction of the Dromaeosaur Think Tank, an area designed to educate visitors about how highly intelligent these animals truly were. The exhibit featured several interactive displays which allow guests to learn more about dromaeosaurs and how they think and learn about their surroundings. Hell Creek, since opening, has had several incidents. Shortly after opening, an alvarezsaurid temporarily managed to escape and enter a nearby restaurant. The animal in question returned to its paddock after a period of about thirty minutes. Structural analysis showed a hole in the netting, which the animal had used to break out. Another incident happened in which a Palaeosaniwa escaped. Before recapture, the animal grabbed a guest's hand (when he had tried to pet it as a dare), nearly severing his thumb. The guest, whilst recovering, admitted the error of his actions and chose not to sue the park. However, this was soon to be overshadowed by the most dramatic of Hell Creek's incidents. In 2018, a year after opening, a three-year old boy fell into the droma paddock and was knocked unconscious, suffering minor injuries. However, it was the aftermath of the event that was so remarkable. Lead female droma Cassie stood guard over the injured boy, placing herself between the child and other members of the clan, until a paramedic and two keepers could remove the child. PP staff continue to debate whether or not Cassie's actions were due to misplaced maternal instincts (she had recently had a clutch prior to the incident) or a case of true altruism. Guests often comment on how the use of hidden barriers both keeps up the immersion the park offers and accurately simulates an ancient environment. Whilst immersion is a standard process for Prehistoric Park exhibits, guests often comment specifically on how natural the design in Hell Creek feels compared to the some of the other exhibits. This form of immersion has been favourably commented on by many reviewers, stating on how accurately Prehistoric Park has simulated an ancient environment, with hidden barriers increasing the sense of immersion that the park often claims to offer. Because of this, Hell Creek remains one of the brightest gems in Prehistoric Park's crown.